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Space Is Just a Starry Night
The tales in Space Is Just a Starry Night range across genres, as elegant as the field of stars spanning a clear dark sky. A lone survivor of plague receives a mysterious visitor; a prison planet tortures political prisoners by methodically manipulating their memories; a young woman uncovers the ghastly truth about the cryogenically preserved ancestor whos been thawed; a ships officer struggles with his suspicions about a shy drab woman taking passage aboard a ship of sun-worshipers. Tanith Lee explores these and other scenarios in her ever intense sensual prose.
248 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2013
10 people are currently reading
215 people want to read
About the author
Tanith Lee
607 books1,956 followersTanith Lee was a British writer of science fiction, horror, and fantasy. She was the author of 77 novels, 14 collections, and almost 300 short stories. She also wrote four radio plays broadcast by the BBC and two scripts for the UK, science fiction, cult television series "Blake's 7."
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.
Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.
Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.
Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.
Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.
Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.
Before becoming a full time writer, Lee worked as a file clerk, an assistant librarian, a shop assistant, and a waitress.
Her first short story, "Eustace," was published in 1968, and her first novel (for children) The Dragon Hoard was published in 1971.
Her career took off in 1975 with the acceptance by Daw Books USA of her adult fantasy epic The Birthgrave for publication as a mass-market paperback, and Lee has since maintained a prolific output in popular genre writing.
Lee twice won the World Fantasy Award: once in 1983 for best short fiction for “The Gorgon” and again in 1984 for best short fiction for “Elle Est Trois (La Mort).” She has been a Guest of Honour at numerous science fiction and fantasy conventions including the Boskone XVIII in Boston, USA in 1981, the 1984 World Fantasy Convention in Ottawa, Canada, and Orbital 2008 the British National Science Fiction convention (Eastercon) held in London, England in March 2008. In 2009 she was awarded the prestigious title of Grand Master of Horror.
Lee was the daughter of two ballroom dancers, Bernard and Hylda Lee. Despite a persistent rumour, she was not the daughter of the actor Bernard Lee who played "M" in the James Bond series of films of the 1960s.
Tanith Lee married author and artist John Kaiine in 1992.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
November 16, 2015
As it is with most anthologies, there were some strong and some weak stories in this collection of whimsical sci-fi/fantasy stories. One thing I did appreciate is that they were grouped together into themes which will make this review much easier.
Myth Remembered: Two interesting takes on some monster myths. Where The Beautiful Biting Machine read as a pretty straight tale where you knew a twist would be coming (and I thought it was a nicely delivered, non-contrived twist), Moon Wolf was a more reflective piece about the nature of the human relationship with the proverbial "dark forest". Both enjoyable reads that demonstrated a nice range of writing skill.
Burning Bright: Three stories revolving around fire the idea of fire or burning. These, in my opinion, were by far the weakest in the anthology. Two, oddly, appeared to revolve around the transformative power of fire (magical fire in one case, filtered sunlight in the other) to elevate the plain, dour appearance of women into some sort of blond sex bomb. Very weird. The other story, The Thaw, I enjoyed more for its sober take on the future than the story itself. All in all these stories did not offer up many interesting ideas to ponder of characters to care about.
Falling Angels: The anthology gets back on track with these three stories about fall angels. I really liked all three, but for different reasons. With a Flaming Sword does a fun job re-writing some of the book of Genesis from a sci-fi perspective, Black Fire is told in a neat way with a pretty funny (in my sick and twisted mind) payoff, and Written in Water is an excellent examination of a survivor of a pandemic's state of mind an dhow she responds to an unexpected guest. Probably my favorite section of the book.
Death's Door: Another strong section, these three stories deal with death in different ways. Tonight I can sleep Quietly provides an interesting idea to chew over. If you existed in a universe where human's were reborn with memories of your past life, would you try to track down the love of your past life even if it had been a century since you were last together? Stalking the Leopard is a fun re-imagining of a story about the impossibility of escaping death. Dead Yellow was a bit sparse, more like a writing exercise than a story, but it was cute in its own way, it didn't overstay its welcome.
Exiles: In terms of writing, these were probably the strongest of the collection. These stories are much longer developed than the previous ones. They are also written in a more traditional manner. They all deal with people who, for one reason or another, have become separated from the rest of humanity and the reflections there of. A very strong finish to this anthology.
All in all a pretty good and diverse slate of stories. I think their greatest strength is not so much in the world building but in offering up an interesting idea for the reader to chew over and reflect upon. Apart from the oddly out of place Fire stories this book was quite engaging and interesting.
Myth Remembered: Two interesting takes on some monster myths. Where The Beautiful Biting Machine read as a pretty straight tale where you knew a twist would be coming (and I thought it was a nicely delivered, non-contrived twist), Moon Wolf was a more reflective piece about the nature of the human relationship with the proverbial "dark forest". Both enjoyable reads that demonstrated a nice range of writing skill.
Burning Bright: Three stories revolving around fire the idea of fire or burning. These, in my opinion, were by far the weakest in the anthology. Two, oddly, appeared to revolve around the transformative power of fire (magical fire in one case, filtered sunlight in the other) to elevate the plain, dour appearance of women into some sort of blond sex bomb. Very weird. The other story, The Thaw, I enjoyed more for its sober take on the future than the story itself. All in all these stories did not offer up many interesting ideas to ponder of characters to care about.
Falling Angels: The anthology gets back on track with these three stories about fall angels. I really liked all three, but for different reasons. With a Flaming Sword does a fun job re-writing some of the book of Genesis from a sci-fi perspective, Black Fire is told in a neat way with a pretty funny (in my sick and twisted mind) payoff, and Written in Water is an excellent examination of a survivor of a pandemic's state of mind an dhow she responds to an unexpected guest. Probably my favorite section of the book.
Death's Door: Another strong section, these three stories deal with death in different ways. Tonight I can sleep Quietly provides an interesting idea to chew over. If you existed in a universe where human's were reborn with memories of your past life, would you try to track down the love of your past life even if it had been a century since you were last together? Stalking the Leopard is a fun re-imagining of a story about the impossibility of escaping death. Dead Yellow was a bit sparse, more like a writing exercise than a story, but it was cute in its own way, it didn't overstay its welcome.
Exiles: In terms of writing, these were probably the strongest of the collection. These stories are much longer developed than the previous ones. They are also written in a more traditional manner. They all deal with people who, for one reason or another, have become separated from the rest of humanity and the reflections there of. A very strong finish to this anthology.
All in all a pretty good and diverse slate of stories. I think their greatest strength is not so much in the world building but in offering up an interesting idea for the reader to chew over and reflect upon. Apart from the oddly out of place Fire stories this book was quite engaging and interesting.
June 3, 2015
A collection of science fiction, including two previously-unpublished stories. I liked the first four most of all. "The Beautiful Biting Machine" and "Moon Wolf" could just as easily fit under horror, a genre to which I think the author was more suited. Most of the rest are okay at best and didn't make much of an impression on me.
April 12, 2018
This review and others posted over at
my blog.
Shorts collections can be hit or miss whether the stories are from one or multiple authors. This is a solid sci-fi collection with a range of futuristic worlds and a few really stellar stories.
The collection starts off with a dedication to Tanith’s husband that made me smile:
To my Husband and Angel, John Kaiine.
From whom great inspiration I gaiine;
And whose name is such fun,
Since almost no one
Can pronounce it – until we explaiine.
I think it’s creative and adorable and I’m happy to know that I’ve always pronounced it correctly.
Ok, on to the stories. For the first time, I think, I’ve got a little something to say about the plot of each story and my thoughts.
The Beautiful Biting Machine – A Tanith twist on vampirism in a technologically advanced future. It’s more than the pervy tale that it appears! This was an excellent choice for an opener.
Moon Wolf – Werewolves on the moon? Honestly, this story was too vague for me to comprehend, though atmospheric.
Felixity – Held prisoner by her husband, a woman finds strength in watching a version of herself revealed to her through a mirror. This was middle of the road for me – a little cliché, as there’s a dumpy to frumpy transformation. The end was the best part, though very literal.
The Thaw – A woman finds herself with a houseguest who happens to be a relative of hers who was frozen for over 200 years. She must help her aunt (?) acclimate to an unfamiliar world but soon finds the woman has some disturbing tendencies. This story was crazy and creepy and I loved it. The protagonist also coins the term nightcarlas instead of nightmares and it was perfect.
You Are My Sunshine – Another transformation story, but this one has ramifications of epic proportions. I really enjoyed this one.
With a Flaming Sword – An alien/cavewoman take on Adam and Eve. This was too religious for me and while, as usual, I thought the writing was quality, I didn’t enjoy the plot or characters.
Black Fire – Another biblical alien invasion, though with some female empowerment…sort of. It was better than Flaming Sword, but not fabulous.
Written in Water – My notes say: what happens when aliens arrive after a plague to the last woman on earth. What even does that mean? I don’t know. I don’t remember this one. Womp.
Tonight I Can Sleep Quietly – Ex-lovers are out of prison and in different bodies and meet in a coffee shop. This one was too introspective for me. But I wanted to know more about the character’s past and the world.
Stalking the Leopard – A jaded rich girl “falls in love with” a mysterious assassin. I liked this one. The world was rich and the ending was unexpected.
Dead Yellow – what happens when the color yellow disappears from the face of the earth. I’ve never read about a plague that targets a color and it was interesting to read about how something seemingly harmless can affect life.
By Crystal Light Beneath One Star – A prison that shows you past memories to torture you. I really wasn’t interested in this one.
A Day in the Skin (or, the century we were out of them) – After a tragic accident, workers in a mining colony find themselves trapped in a sort of limbo while the bodies of the survivors are loaned out for short periods of time. Essentially you get x number of days in a body every x number of days. But you never get to go back into your own body. It’s complex but understandable. I loved this one and I think it should have ended the collection because it was so strong. It was giving me Altered Carbon vibes except this came first!
Within the Ghost – A man is stranded on his ship after the planet he was working on is destroyed. The ship finds a mysterious signal from a planet with no signs of life and from there the three build a relationship. This one was odd…but intriguing.
If you like sci-fi shorts this is a collection worth checking out, especially if you tend to be more of a deep thinker than I am. Some of the stories that confused or bored me might be your standouts!
Shorts collections can be hit or miss whether the stories are from one or multiple authors. This is a solid sci-fi collection with a range of futuristic worlds and a few really stellar stories.
The collection starts off with a dedication to Tanith’s husband that made me smile:
To my Husband and Angel, John Kaiine.
From whom great inspiration I gaiine;
And whose name is such fun,
Since almost no one
Can pronounce it – until we explaiine.
I think it’s creative and adorable and I’m happy to know that I’ve always pronounced it correctly.
Ok, on to the stories. For the first time, I think, I’ve got a little something to say about the plot of each story and my thoughts.
The Beautiful Biting Machine – A Tanith twist on vampirism in a technologically advanced future. It’s more than the pervy tale that it appears! This was an excellent choice for an opener.
Moon Wolf – Werewolves on the moon? Honestly, this story was too vague for me to comprehend, though atmospheric.
Felixity – Held prisoner by her husband, a woman finds strength in watching a version of herself revealed to her through a mirror. This was middle of the road for me – a little cliché, as there’s a dumpy to frumpy transformation. The end was the best part, though very literal.
The Thaw – A woman finds herself with a houseguest who happens to be a relative of hers who was frozen for over 200 years. She must help her aunt (?) acclimate to an unfamiliar world but soon finds the woman has some disturbing tendencies. This story was crazy and creepy and I loved it. The protagonist also coins the term nightcarlas instead of nightmares and it was perfect.
You Are My Sunshine – Another transformation story, but this one has ramifications of epic proportions. I really enjoyed this one.
With a Flaming Sword – An alien/cavewoman take on Adam and Eve. This was too religious for me and while, as usual, I thought the writing was quality, I didn’t enjoy the plot or characters.
Black Fire – Another biblical alien invasion, though with some female empowerment…sort of. It was better than Flaming Sword, but not fabulous.
Written in Water – My notes say: what happens when aliens arrive after a plague to the last woman on earth. What even does that mean? I don’t know. I don’t remember this one. Womp.
Tonight I Can Sleep Quietly – Ex-lovers are out of prison and in different bodies and meet in a coffee shop. This one was too introspective for me. But I wanted to know more about the character’s past and the world.
Stalking the Leopard – A jaded rich girl “falls in love with” a mysterious assassin. I liked this one. The world was rich and the ending was unexpected.
Dead Yellow – what happens when the color yellow disappears from the face of the earth. I’ve never read about a plague that targets a color and it was interesting to read about how something seemingly harmless can affect life.
By Crystal Light Beneath One Star – A prison that shows you past memories to torture you. I really wasn’t interested in this one.
A Day in the Skin (or, the century we were out of them) – After a tragic accident, workers in a mining colony find themselves trapped in a sort of limbo while the bodies of the survivors are loaned out for short periods of time. Essentially you get x number of days in a body every x number of days. But you never get to go back into your own body. It’s complex but understandable. I loved this one and I think it should have ended the collection because it was so strong. It was giving me Altered Carbon vibes except this came first!
Within the Ghost – A man is stranded on his ship after the planet he was working on is destroyed. The ship finds a mysterious signal from a planet with no signs of life and from there the three build a relationship. This one was odd…but intriguing.
If you like sci-fi shorts this is a collection worth checking out, especially if you tend to be more of a deep thinker than I am. Some of the stories that confused or bored me might be your standouts!
August 30, 2013
Okay, this is how this went down. I went to the library in search of some non-genre fiction. I wanted a break from sf as I was still under the shadow of The Highest Frontier. I was cruising the new fiction section, where everything looked BORING, except one title I was on the fence about but wanted to check goodreads reviews first when BAM! I ran into this. I loved the cover design, and the title, and then I saw Tanith Lee and it was over.
I haven't read so much by Tanith lee, but what I have read I liked, and clearly it was time to read more.
So I was excited picking it up, excited checking it out and taking it home, and then I examined it more closely and UGH! it is a collection of short stories. Let me not get into all my short story issues here, I will just say it's not my favorite format. So in very short order I went from fangirl flailing to "meh." It was with rather lackluster enthusiasm that I actually started reading.
Now, can I say? I repent! I repent! Dear universe, I repent! I was in love from the very first story all the way to the end. (Almost. More on that in a moment.) Some of the stories were so perfect I wanted to kiss them. Special favorites were "The Beautiful Biting Machine," "Moon Wolf," "You Are My Sunshine," and "Within the Ghost." Oh, and "With a Flaming Sword." I do love retellings of the Adam and Eve story. Pretty much every time.
Tanith Lee is one of those authors that makes me tag my books as sf for speculative fiction rather than just science fiction. For the most part, I have followed my father's opinion that science fiction is clearly the superior half (not just that, but the only worthwhile half) of the science fiction and fantasy section. But Lee has always blurred the lines between science fiction and fantasy. Sometimes with a little bit of horror. Yes, there is future tech and world colonization and AI, but sometimes there are vampires and werewolves and goddesses, too. But these fantasy elements are thoughtful and smart and integral to what each short story is exploring, and it's all so seamless with the science fiction that I kind of adored it.
The only story I didn't love was "By Crystal Light Beneath One Star." I kept turning the pages, thinking, "What, so she think's she's Philip K. Dick now?" It never came together for me.
Anyway, the stories may be short, but the ideas are still big. The power of beauty and attraction. The worth, meaning, and purpose of a life. The line/interactions between human and the divine.
Absolutely loved this.
I haven't read so much by Tanith lee, but what I have read I liked, and clearly it was time to read more.
So I was excited picking it up, excited checking it out and taking it home, and then I examined it more closely and UGH! it is a collection of short stories. Let me not get into all my short story issues here, I will just say it's not my favorite format. So in very short order I went from fangirl flailing to "meh." It was with rather lackluster enthusiasm that I actually started reading.
Now, can I say? I repent! I repent! Dear universe, I repent! I was in love from the very first story all the way to the end. (Almost. More on that in a moment.) Some of the stories were so perfect I wanted to kiss them. Special favorites were "The Beautiful Biting Machine," "Moon Wolf," "You Are My Sunshine," and "Within the Ghost." Oh, and "With a Flaming Sword." I do love retellings of the Adam and Eve story. Pretty much every time.
Tanith Lee is one of those authors that makes me tag my books as sf for speculative fiction rather than just science fiction. For the most part, I have followed my father's opinion that science fiction is clearly the superior half (not just that, but the only worthwhile half) of the science fiction and fantasy section. But Lee has always blurred the lines between science fiction and fantasy. Sometimes with a little bit of horror. Yes, there is future tech and world colonization and AI, but sometimes there are vampires and werewolves and goddesses, too. But these fantasy elements are thoughtful and smart and integral to what each short story is exploring, and it's all so seamless with the science fiction that I kind of adored it.
The only story I didn't love was "By Crystal Light Beneath One Star." I kept turning the pages, thinking, "What, so she think's she's Philip K. Dick now?" It never came together for me.
Anyway, the stories may be short, but the ideas are still big. The power of beauty and attraction. The worth, meaning, and purpose of a life. The line/interactions between human and the divine.
Absolutely loved this.
July 31, 2016
This book - a collection of short stories - is remarkable on several levels, the most significant being the way in which the themes she plays with in these early works were so clearly woven, later on, into the books of hers I consider her magnum opuses (Biting the Sun and The Silver Metal Lover).
Her work frequently plays with the ideas of life after humanity, ghosts in the machine, ghosts inside us, planets and the earth (if not The Earth) as necessary for human survival on a spiritual level, and the power of love as a force transcendent above gender, body, and even death.
Technology, for Tanith Lee, was both a frequent cause of humanity's decline into utter moral dissolution and also the force that allows us to rise above ourselves in ways both divine and carnal. In these stories we see the myriad angles and refractions of our relationships with the machines we create to serve us. Lessons, I believe, that are even more important today than they were when Tanith was writing.
At this point, reading Tanith Lee is a spiritual experience for me. I can only do it in small bites, portioning off her novels and stories one by one until the terrible point when they end, and I'm left with the realization, once again, that her work is now finite.
If you have never read Tanith, do not start here, but come back here when you've read her more popular works and let yourself sink into her beautiful mind, her beautiful visions, housed in this remarkable collection.
Her work frequently plays with the ideas of life after humanity, ghosts in the machine, ghosts inside us, planets and the earth (if not The Earth) as necessary for human survival on a spiritual level, and the power of love as a force transcendent above gender, body, and even death.
Technology, for Tanith Lee, was both a frequent cause of humanity's decline into utter moral dissolution and also the force that allows us to rise above ourselves in ways both divine and carnal. In these stories we see the myriad angles and refractions of our relationships with the machines we create to serve us. Lessons, I believe, that are even more important today than they were when Tanith was writing.
At this point, reading Tanith Lee is a spiritual experience for me. I can only do it in small bites, portioning off her novels and stories one by one until the terrible point when they end, and I'm left with the realization, once again, that her work is now finite.
If you have never read Tanith, do not start here, but come back here when you've read her more popular works and let yourself sink into her beautiful mind, her beautiful visions, housed in this remarkable collection.
April 30, 2018
Funnily enough, I didn't realize that I had read this collection already. So: Good stories but none so memorable or affecting that I remembered them (until I began rereading, then the memory banks began retrieving records).
If you like Tanith Lee, this is a fine collection of some of her work.
If you like Tanith Lee, this is a fine collection of some of her work.
Read
September 7, 2021This one did not do it for me, mostly due to my disinterest in the specific subgenres (Supernatural space horror? Sci-fi theology?) in which she was working. I also think I'm burned out on short stories... not enough to sink your teeth into. I did find the "Flaming Sword" story clever and enjoyable.
March 23, 2025
The more I read of Tanith Lee, the more I understand why she is considered an unsung pioneer in genre fiction. Her work is decidedly offbeat both in content and form, which makes it certainly unique but not to everyone's tastes. This short story collection, one of the last to be released before her passing in 2015, is a good example of that.
I'm not going to go into each of the fourteen stories, which are subdivided by thematic subjects but embody a broad range of genres, all presented in Lee's slightly askew prose. What seems like a straightforward thought is worded and arranged in such a way that it feels original (and, on occasion, downright confusing). This is what gives her images and moods their power - sensuous, otherworldly and frightening take on new meanings in her hands, which breathes life into concepts old and new. (One story in particular reads like "Altered Carbon," only conceived 20 years earlier.) And yet there are a few stories that, despite her skill, don't evolve beyond their basic concepts (what if Adam and Eve, but God was an alien? What if everyone suddenly became colorblind?) and come off anemic in comparison.
But that's okay. Any short story collection has its share of tales that falter a bit - especially with an author as incredibly prolific as Lee was. Perhaps not a good introduction to her, but best suited for those who have read some her long-form work or her more famous collections first.
I'm not going to go into each of the fourteen stories, which are subdivided by thematic subjects but embody a broad range of genres, all presented in Lee's slightly askew prose. What seems like a straightforward thought is worded and arranged in such a way that it feels original (and, on occasion, downright confusing). This is what gives her images and moods their power - sensuous, otherworldly and frightening take on new meanings in her hands, which breathes life into concepts old and new. (One story in particular reads like "Altered Carbon," only conceived 20 years earlier.) And yet there are a few stories that, despite her skill, don't evolve beyond their basic concepts (what if Adam and Eve, but God was an alien? What if everyone suddenly became colorblind?) and come off anemic in comparison.
But that's okay. Any short story collection has its share of tales that falter a bit - especially with an author as incredibly prolific as Lee was. Perhaps not a good introduction to her, but best suited for those who have read some her long-form work or her more famous collections first.
March 15, 2014
I've read more than a dozen of Lee's previous books (a small fraction, in other words) and somehow I never imagined that her science fiction would be this, well, science fiction-y... I think of her writing as being primarily about atmosphere and secondarily character, with plot a distant third, but the short stories in this collection are pointedly focused on the specific SF element of each. Which is not to say that character and atmosphere are neglected - "Stalking The Leopard" is sumptuously detailed, while "The Thaw," "Felixity" and "A Day In The Skin" are peopled by some of the most likeable characters Lee - who can sometimes be more accurate than kind in her depictions of the human condition - has created. To put it another way, if Tanith Lee has weaknesses as a writer they're not evident in this volume.
March 14, 2014
Tanith Lee is one of my favorite writers so it is not a surprise that I adored this book. Tanith’s writing style has an odd and unsettling elegance that speaks to and inspires me. The descriptive imagery with which she imbues her storytelling is often unusual, but always luminous with color, texture, and feeling. I don’t wish to post a review snippet about each tale in Space is Just a Starry Night as that would just be a display of fan girl overkill. If you are familiar with Tanith Lee’s writing, you can already anticipate with pleasure the strange yet exquisite reading experience that beckons!
July 6, 2018
Read this for my book challenge to "read a book set in space." This is a series of short stories. She's not a horrible writer, especially if you like flowery prose. Just none of the stories seemed to grab me. I also started rolling my eyes after a while with the amount of times she did a sci-fi/fantasy take on Adam and Eve.
December 1, 2019
It always feels odd when a famous author's books don't work for me. I think this is the first thing I've read by Lee, but I just didn't enjoy it at all. Wiki said critics described her writing as "use of rich poetic prose" which really also sums up why I didn't like it. It was so wordy, I would have described it as nearly purple, I just wanted her to get to the point of her sentences.
DNF
DNF
October 21, 2015
I loved how the short stories were arranged by theme. Two of these haven't been published before - "With a Flaming Sword" and "Within the Ghost". I liked both. Overall these stories feel like fantasy set in sci-fi environment :)
May 1, 2015
I couldn't keep reading.
The first story seems to be an unfortunate parody of science fiction. It's incredibly hard to get through and even harder to follow. Not pleasant.
The first story seems to be an unfortunate parody of science fiction. It's incredibly hard to get through and even harder to follow. Not pleasant.
July 27, 2021
“Space is Just a Starry Night” is a short story collection by the late great mistress of fantasy, Tainth Lee. It was published in 2014, so it was one of her last works before her death in 2015. These stories are from a wide time period, 1979 forward. Most were reprinted from magazines or other anthologies, but “With a Flaming Sword” and “Within the Ghost” are original stories for this anthology.
The theme is science fictional, and most stories take place in space or on alien worlds. However, most are more science-fantasy than hard SF. The book begins with a tale of a robot vampire in a circus on another world. Then there is the tale of werewolves seen out of the corner of one’s eye while on the moon. There is a retelling of the story of Genesis, the original work “With a Flaming Sword.” Fourteen stories in all are presented in five sections, each of which represents a theme. The volume ends with the other original story of a very pleasant exile, “Within the Ghost.” Because a book should have a happy ending, shouldn’t it?
No one quite writes stories like Tainth Lee. They are emotional and immersive, and often but not always with a touch of darkness. Like any anthology, the reader will like some of these more than others, but I found all of them to be worth reading. Some of them made quite an impression on me, and I find myself thinking about them hours or days later. To me, that is the mark of a good story.
The theme is science fictional, and most stories take place in space or on alien worlds. However, most are more science-fantasy than hard SF. The book begins with a tale of a robot vampire in a circus on another world. Then there is the tale of werewolves seen out of the corner of one’s eye while on the moon. There is a retelling of the story of Genesis, the original work “With a Flaming Sword.” Fourteen stories in all are presented in five sections, each of which represents a theme. The volume ends with the other original story of a very pleasant exile, “Within the Ghost.” Because a book should have a happy ending, shouldn’t it?
No one quite writes stories like Tainth Lee. They are emotional and immersive, and often but not always with a touch of darkness. Like any anthology, the reader will like some of these more than others, but I found all of them to be worth reading. Some of them made quite an impression on me, and I find myself thinking about them hours or days later. To me, that is the mark of a good story.
November 13, 2015
Space is Just a Starry Night – a book about the supernatural, space, aliens, advanced technology, and lonely, lonely women.
Tanith Lee’s new collection of short stories is divided into five parts, titled: Myth Remembered, Burning Bright, Falling Angels, Death’s Door, and Exiles.
Myth Remembered
A vampire story and a werewolf story, but in space! Vampire/robot and werewolf/moon-ghost. The vampire story has some excellent descriptions of aliens. The werewolf story has some nice ethereal imagery, but it’s a little hard to follow the plot as it gets lost in style.
Burning Bright
Three harrowing tales of ugly, lonely, dangerous women. The first tale is about a rich but ugly daughter of a beautiful couple who is charmed into marrying a thief. The second is about a homely, shy artist whose great-ancestor is revived from cryogenic sleep, and suddenly she has to share her tiny apartment with the oddly powerful woman. The third is about a frumpy, timid woman incongruously named Appolonia Hartley, who takes a cruise by the sun and magically becomes more beautiful the longer she spends bathing in the rays.
The first and third both end with the main character turning their environment into an inferno. It seems to me that because they were shunned by their peers, negative emotions built up and exploded in a literal way. It might be a reversal of witch-burning, since the women are using fire as a weapon and not being consumed by it (a la Carrie). I empathized a lot with the characters because I’ve had similar feelings and experiences in my life, but I found the endings more scary than cathartic, though they’re still quite powerful.
Falling Angels
The ones in this section are based around themes from the Genesis mythology, with a science fiction twist. In “With a Flaming Sword”, God is an alien, in “Black Fire”, Satan is an alien, and in “Written in Water” Adam is an alien. The first one is an alternate history, the second one is told through the perspectives of about ten men and women through their depositions of the UFO event. The third one is another completely heartwrenching story about a lonely woman (Again? Yes. It’s a good one, trust me.) In “Written in Water” an alien crash-lands near the house of a woman who is alone for various reasons.
"She had never liked people very much. They had always hurt her, or degraded her, always imposed on her in some way. Finally she had retreated into the old house, wanting to be alone, a hermitess."
One of my favorite scenes in this book is when the protagonist brings the alien in (he looks like a pale young man with long dark hair) and he starts crying, because his ship abandoned him.
“Don’t cry,” she said. But she did not mean it. His distress afforded her an exquisite agony of empathic pain. She had not felt anything for a very long time."
So we have an alien weeping, and our older female protagonist is standing there trying not to take pleasure in his excess of emotion and failing. It’s kind of vampiric, it’s kind of sad, but something about it rings true and is kind of painful. There’s something about this type of character, where I can’t help empathizing with them. I don’t want to be like them, but I know that I am. It provides a bitter counterpoint to the wish-fulfillment in science fiction and fantasy when the main character is socially inept (as long as they don’t become The Chosen One). It brings space down to Earth.
Death’s Door
I can’t talk about “Tonight I Can Sleep Quietly” and “Stalking the Leopard” without giving away their endings, so I’ll have to pass. They both have sharp twists at the end, though they’re not my favorite stories in this collection. “Dead Yellow” is an interesting piece based off the concept “What if the color yellow ceased to exist?” It’s mostly the observations of one character on that change.
Exiles
“By Crystal Light Beneath One Star” is a little over-sentimental but has some interesting worldbuilding. The government has built a special prison that can control the time-flow around it, making it difficult for prisoners to discern how long they’ve been there or whether the present has happened to them already, and can also send them back into their pasts as lookers-on (unrelated: If you’re a voyeur to your past self, is that still voyeurism?).
“A Day in the Skin” is a great story. It’s about a society where there was a giant explosion (an industrial accident) and most of the population got injured to a degree where their bodies couldn’t be saved so they uploaded their minds into a computer. The society rotates the population into the remaining bodies, so most of the time they’re in the machines but some of the time they’re out in the world in other people’s bodies. It’s interesting because sometimes you come out male, and sometimes female. I can’t say much more, but this is one of my favorite stories because it looks at new dimensions of identity, life, and death.
“Within the Ghost” is probably my favorite story in this collection. It’s hard to talk about without giving away too much, but it’s about accepting circumstances, love, nature, and God. I will say if you dream about hippie-ish stuff like free love or living off the grid, you will probably like this one (though even if you don’t, and you just like nature or scifi, or even if you’re religious, you might still find it appealing). This one has something for everyone.
Overall, I’d say this is my favorite of the books I’ve reviewed so far on this blog. Tanith Lee has had a long and productive writing career, and though I haven’t read her other work, this collection showcases her talents very well. She usually writes fantasy for young people, but this collection has a lot of sexual content so I wouldn’t recommend it for kids (maybe for young adults, depending on maturity level). It also has some depression triggers, but it seems like most fiction does… anyway, be wary if you’re trying to avoid stuff that’ll depress you. It is a good collection though, so I’d recommend picking it up, especially if you like psychological scifi.
Tanith Lee’s new collection of short stories is divided into five parts, titled: Myth Remembered, Burning Bright, Falling Angels, Death’s Door, and Exiles.
Myth Remembered
A vampire story and a werewolf story, but in space! Vampire/robot and werewolf/moon-ghost. The vampire story has some excellent descriptions of aliens. The werewolf story has some nice ethereal imagery, but it’s a little hard to follow the plot as it gets lost in style.
Burning Bright
Three harrowing tales of ugly, lonely, dangerous women. The first tale is about a rich but ugly daughter of a beautiful couple who is charmed into marrying a thief. The second is about a homely, shy artist whose great-ancestor is revived from cryogenic sleep, and suddenly she has to share her tiny apartment with the oddly powerful woman. The third is about a frumpy, timid woman incongruously named Appolonia Hartley, who takes a cruise by the sun and magically becomes more beautiful the longer she spends bathing in the rays.
The first and third both end with the main character turning their environment into an inferno. It seems to me that because they were shunned by their peers, negative emotions built up and exploded in a literal way. It might be a reversal of witch-burning, since the women are using fire as a weapon and not being consumed by it (a la Carrie). I empathized a lot with the characters because I’ve had similar feelings and experiences in my life, but I found the endings more scary than cathartic, though they’re still quite powerful.
Falling Angels
The ones in this section are based around themes from the Genesis mythology, with a science fiction twist. In “With a Flaming Sword”, God is an alien, in “Black Fire”, Satan is an alien, and in “Written in Water” Adam is an alien. The first one is an alternate history, the second one is told through the perspectives of about ten men and women through their depositions of the UFO event. The third one is another completely heartwrenching story about a lonely woman (Again? Yes. It’s a good one, trust me.) In “Written in Water” an alien crash-lands near the house of a woman who is alone for various reasons.
"She had never liked people very much. They had always hurt her, or degraded her, always imposed on her in some way. Finally she had retreated into the old house, wanting to be alone, a hermitess."
One of my favorite scenes in this book is when the protagonist brings the alien in (he looks like a pale young man with long dark hair) and he starts crying, because his ship abandoned him.
“Don’t cry,” she said. But she did not mean it. His distress afforded her an exquisite agony of empathic pain. She had not felt anything for a very long time."
So we have an alien weeping, and our older female protagonist is standing there trying not to take pleasure in his excess of emotion and failing. It’s kind of vampiric, it’s kind of sad, but something about it rings true and is kind of painful. There’s something about this type of character, where I can’t help empathizing with them. I don’t want to be like them, but I know that I am. It provides a bitter counterpoint to the wish-fulfillment in science fiction and fantasy when the main character is socially inept (as long as they don’t become The Chosen One). It brings space down to Earth.
Death’s Door
I can’t talk about “Tonight I Can Sleep Quietly” and “Stalking the Leopard” without giving away their endings, so I’ll have to pass. They both have sharp twists at the end, though they’re not my favorite stories in this collection. “Dead Yellow” is an interesting piece based off the concept “What if the color yellow ceased to exist?” It’s mostly the observations of one character on that change.
Exiles
“By Crystal Light Beneath One Star” is a little over-sentimental but has some interesting worldbuilding. The government has built a special prison that can control the time-flow around it, making it difficult for prisoners to discern how long they’ve been there or whether the present has happened to them already, and can also send them back into their pasts as lookers-on (unrelated: If you’re a voyeur to your past self, is that still voyeurism?).
“A Day in the Skin” is a great story. It’s about a society where there was a giant explosion (an industrial accident) and most of the population got injured to a degree where their bodies couldn’t be saved so they uploaded their minds into a computer. The society rotates the population into the remaining bodies, so most of the time they’re in the machines but some of the time they’re out in the world in other people’s bodies. It’s interesting because sometimes you come out male, and sometimes female. I can’t say much more, but this is one of my favorite stories because it looks at new dimensions of identity, life, and death.
“Within the Ghost” is probably my favorite story in this collection. It’s hard to talk about without giving away too much, but it’s about accepting circumstances, love, nature, and God. I will say if you dream about hippie-ish stuff like free love or living off the grid, you will probably like this one (though even if you don’t, and you just like nature or scifi, or even if you’re religious, you might still find it appealing). This one has something for everyone.
Overall, I’d say this is my favorite of the books I’ve reviewed so far on this blog. Tanith Lee has had a long and productive writing career, and though I haven’t read her other work, this collection showcases her talents very well. She usually writes fantasy for young people, but this collection has a lot of sexual content so I wouldn’t recommend it for kids (maybe for young adults, depending on maturity level). It also has some depression triggers, but it seems like most fiction does… anyway, be wary if you’re trying to avoid stuff that’ll depress you. It is a good collection though, so I’d recommend picking it up, especially if you like psychological scifi.
August 15, 2025
I appreciate that Tanith Lee is weird and not afraid to lean into it. Like any collection of short stories, there will be weaker ones (You Are My Sunshine, Tonight I Can Sleep Quietly,) and stronger (A Day in the Skin, Stalking the Leopard, The Beautiful Biting Machine.) It's also nice to see an author not confined to a single style with her using third person, first person and using a multitude of approaches and voicesin different stories.
My biggest issue is that for how strange and unsettling a lot of her stories are, they could be just as... boring. Maybe they were a product of their time, some being written in the late seventies and eighties, but despite their content had a bland, almost textbook-like recitation. That coupled with the fact that a lot of them had zero follow through or resolution left me kind of lukewarm. Everything can't be handwaved away as, "aliens!" you know?
My biggest issue is that for how strange and unsettling a lot of her stories are, they could be just as... boring. Maybe they were a product of their time, some being written in the late seventies and eighties, but despite their content had a bland, almost textbook-like recitation. That coupled with the fact that a lot of them had zero follow through or resolution left me kind of lukewarm. Everything can't be handwaved away as, "aliens!" you know?
February 11, 2018
I've had Tanith Lee on my radar for a while, so when I saw this collection on the shelf in the library I figured I give it a shot.
It was certainly interesting. Lee has a very particular style, beautiful prose, interesting imagery. Some of the stories were a little too "weird" for me, but that's not unusual. Short fiction trends toward the high concept, and I...don't.
I did find it interesting the way so many of the stories seemed to blend SF/F in a really lovely way. The first story out of the gate, "The Beautiful Biting Machine", is just one example.
There were a couple real standouts of the collection, though of course now since I've left this review so long to write I don't remember the titles very well. "A Day in the Skin" was one, for sure, and the other was maybe "Written in Water"?
It was certainly interesting. Lee has a very particular style, beautiful prose, interesting imagery. Some of the stories were a little too "weird" for me, but that's not unusual. Short fiction trends toward the high concept, and I...don't.
I did find it interesting the way so many of the stories seemed to blend SF/F in a really lovely way. The first story out of the gate, "The Beautiful Biting Machine", is just one example.
There were a couple real standouts of the collection, though of course now since I've left this review so long to write I don't remember the titles very well. "A Day in the Skin" was one, for sure, and the other was maybe "Written in Water"?
April 18, 2018
This is the curious case of a writer who is extremely good telling stories that I don’t much want to read.
This book is short stories written between 1980 and 2008, which by itself shows a little bit about Lee’s career. By and large they are good, thoughtful, and well written. Loneliness is written into the warp and weft of the stories, some tragic and others triumphant, but all are lyric and gorgeous.
However. Many of her protagonists here are damaged people of one kind or another, and many are not people into whose world I’d like to live and find myself.
Recommended, because tastes are varied, and Lee is quite good, even if not to my taste.
This book is short stories written between 1980 and 2008, which by itself shows a little bit about Lee’s career. By and large they are good, thoughtful, and well written. Loneliness is written into the warp and weft of the stories, some tragic and others triumphant, but all are lyric and gorgeous.
However. Many of her protagonists here are damaged people of one kind or another, and many are not people into whose world I’d like to live and find myself.
Recommended, because tastes are varied, and Lee is quite good, even if not to my taste.
March 7, 2020
I enjoy reading short stories. Maybe because I have a short attention span. I picked up this book because I recognizes Lee's name, but I could not recall if I had read any of her works. I'm glad that I did.
Lee's touches on many topics: possible futures, alien encounters (with a bit of mysticism), horror, and some good old Sci-fi staples. I am reminded of many other similar stories, Stranger in a Strange Land for example, and there is a touch of Lovecraft in some of her writing. There is elements of sensuality in several of her stories.
I gave it 3 stars because I couldn't say that I really liked it, but I would definitely read more of her books.
Lee's touches on many topics: possible futures, alien encounters (with a bit of mysticism), horror, and some good old Sci-fi staples. I am reminded of many other similar stories, Stranger in a Strange Land for example, and there is a touch of Lovecraft in some of her writing. There is elements of sensuality in several of her stories.
I gave it 3 stars because I couldn't say that I really liked it, but I would definitely read more of her books.
July 18, 2017
Not usually a fan of short story collections but I'm ALWAYS a fan of Tanith Lee's work.
I really enjoyed most of these, and there are a couple that I wish had been a full novel.
I really enjoyed most of these, and there are a couple that I wish had been a full novel.
October 20, 2016
SPOILER ALERT POSSIBILITY
47 stars for 14 prose = 3.36 stars
The beautiful biting machine -- I hate vampyrs & zombies, but I love space & aliens ... splicing these worlds together can be really interesting or become a total failure. this short story, though I may hate to admit it, is a great success in my book. it took several genres (mystery, sci fi, fantasy, horror, goth) and blended them on low very nicely. I liked the subtle ending hints of more-to-the-story-than-told vibe. the twist, and then the 2nd one, was nicely executed - 5 stars
Moon wolf -- I liked where this was going but then the ending lost me. it was as if the pov switched suddenly. now, that may actually be the case: a sort of "we are far more similar than unlike" kind of tale. I cannot be sure so it loses a star. feeling like a dull twilight zone episode gives this an extra star - 3 stars
Felixity -- sadly, I must say I really did not get the "message" "moral" or point, save, sometimes the so-called-ugly person is merely in a state of pre-metamorphosis which will lend them to becoming great. don't judge a book by the cover was a phrase that came to mind reading this story. I just like that the hustler got what he deserved - 3 stars
The thaw -- yes, yes, and yes ... the pov was perfect & could be none other than what it was; adding style flavor & interest to the story. any other voice would have diminished an interesting concept. i liked this one and it needs to be a mini series (comic, television, web series ... something. this could be a movie, if written, directed, & acted right). the main character's attitude made the story work. this was definitely something Rod Serling would have enjoyed ("How to Serve Man" comes to mind for some reason) - 5 stars
You are my sunshine -- what was she? did she truly not survive? how did he make it? why was he immune to her? was it love? lust? luck? is he something other than man? a good suspenseful story that has an ending that leaves a world of possibilities of more story; which I like. i felt like I was reading a good episode of the outer limits - 4 stars
With a flaming sword -- maybe I have a bias, but this was not a favorite. I liked the idea: retelling an archaic tale but with a plausible twist. but it felt contrived, maybe not the right word. felt forced. the author tried to hard to ensure everything had a substitute (read and you will understand what I mean) - 2 stars
Black fire -- I can not pick exactly why but I really enjoyed this one. the mystery and unknowing of what is really happening, the very subtle religious 'stabs' and the pacing made for a good story. a snip-it of a chaotic day suffered by many (666 folks to be exact). this could get the mind racing and people to questioning things, which can be very beneficial & uplifting, dare I say enlightening - 4 stars
Written in water -- the title never made sense to me, and the story itself seems so open-ended, which in itself can be great and inspiring and entertaining. panic, fear, the unknown, loneliness, survival, aggression, violence, passion: all were traits found on these pages. I felt like it was a twilight zone episode, not 1 of the better ones, but good enough to have a spin-off or remake done. (I feel odd making so many cross-media references) - 3 stars
Tonight I can sleep quietly -- honestly, this one was a bit odd and troubling for me to understand, at first. however, by the end I understood the concept clearly and felt dumb I had not picked up on it sooner. reincarnation & remembering past lives is something of a cliche to write but it was done decently; just not my cup of tea - 2
Stalking the leopard -- I felt it was an homage to Poe's "Masque of the Red Death" and enjoyed the entire story, from the 1st paragraph to the last. it was predictable, yes, but still very fun. I wanted to scream at the protagonist to stop following, as if I were watching a horror flick. good fun - 5 stars
Dead yellow -- I will be honest, I do not even remember this one - 0 stars
By crystal light beneath one star -- I could not stop thinking of the Phantom Zone (Superman - DC Universe) and the Negative Zone (Fantastic 4 - Marvel Universe). It was a bit confusing with the time jumps, added to the depressing concept of inevitable fate or destiny, made this less than fun - 2 stars
A day in the skin (or, the century we were out of them) -- holy crap I liked this one. the idea that our flesh are just organic machines (or mahayana - vehicle) has been done before, I am sure, but putting a corporate spin on it made this 1 a great read - 5 stars
Within the ghost -- a soul for "inanimate objects" is only 1 of the concepts muddled with in this short prose. it started slow and seemed dry but it was meant to be that. reader must feel the draw of years as the protagonist is left adrift the cosmos. it kind of ended abruptly though. i would enjoy seeing it as a full novel or at least vignette maybe - 4 Stars
47 stars for 14 prose = 3.36 stars
The beautiful biting machine -- I hate vampyrs & zombies, but I love space & aliens ... splicing these worlds together can be really interesting or become a total failure. this short story, though I may hate to admit it, is a great success in my book. it took several genres (mystery, sci fi, fantasy, horror, goth) and blended them on low very nicely. I liked the subtle ending hints of more-to-the-story-than-told vibe. the twist, and then the 2nd one, was nicely executed - 5 stars
Moon wolf -- I liked where this was going but then the ending lost me. it was as if the pov switched suddenly. now, that may actually be the case: a sort of "we are far more similar than unlike" kind of tale. I cannot be sure so it loses a star. feeling like a dull twilight zone episode gives this an extra star - 3 stars
Felixity -- sadly, I must say I really did not get the "message" "moral" or point, save, sometimes the so-called-ugly person is merely in a state of pre-metamorphosis which will lend them to becoming great. don't judge a book by the cover was a phrase that came to mind reading this story. I just like that the hustler got what he deserved - 3 stars
The thaw -- yes, yes, and yes ... the pov was perfect & could be none other than what it was; adding style flavor & interest to the story. any other voice would have diminished an interesting concept. i liked this one and it needs to be a mini series (comic, television, web series ... something. this could be a movie, if written, directed, & acted right). the main character's attitude made the story work. this was definitely something Rod Serling would have enjoyed ("How to Serve Man" comes to mind for some reason) - 5 stars
You are my sunshine -- what was she? did she truly not survive? how did he make it? why was he immune to her? was it love? lust? luck? is he something other than man? a good suspenseful story that has an ending that leaves a world of possibilities of more story; which I like. i felt like I was reading a good episode of the outer limits - 4 stars
With a flaming sword -- maybe I have a bias, but this was not a favorite. I liked the idea: retelling an archaic tale but with a plausible twist. but it felt contrived, maybe not the right word. felt forced. the author tried to hard to ensure everything had a substitute (read and you will understand what I mean) - 2 stars
Black fire -- I can not pick exactly why but I really enjoyed this one. the mystery and unknowing of what is really happening, the very subtle religious 'stabs' and the pacing made for a good story. a snip-it of a chaotic day suffered by many (666 folks to be exact). this could get the mind racing and people to questioning things, which can be very beneficial & uplifting, dare I say enlightening - 4 stars
Written in water -- the title never made sense to me, and the story itself seems so open-ended, which in itself can be great and inspiring and entertaining. panic, fear, the unknown, loneliness, survival, aggression, violence, passion: all were traits found on these pages. I felt like it was a twilight zone episode, not 1 of the better ones, but good enough to have a spin-off or remake done. (I feel odd making so many cross-media references) - 3 stars
Tonight I can sleep quietly -- honestly, this one was a bit odd and troubling for me to understand, at first. however, by the end I understood the concept clearly and felt dumb I had not picked up on it sooner. reincarnation & remembering past lives is something of a cliche to write but it was done decently; just not my cup of tea - 2
Stalking the leopard -- I felt it was an homage to Poe's "Masque of the Red Death" and enjoyed the entire story, from the 1st paragraph to the last. it was predictable, yes, but still very fun. I wanted to scream at the protagonist to stop following, as if I were watching a horror flick. good fun - 5 stars
Dead yellow -- I will be honest, I do not even remember this one - 0 stars
By crystal light beneath one star -- I could not stop thinking of the Phantom Zone (Superman - DC Universe) and the Negative Zone (Fantastic 4 - Marvel Universe). It was a bit confusing with the time jumps, added to the depressing concept of inevitable fate or destiny, made this less than fun - 2 stars
A day in the skin (or, the century we were out of them) -- holy crap I liked this one. the idea that our flesh are just organic machines (or mahayana - vehicle) has been done before, I am sure, but putting a corporate spin on it made this 1 a great read - 5 stars
Within the ghost -- a soul for "inanimate objects" is only 1 of the concepts muddled with in this short prose. it started slow and seemed dry but it was meant to be that. reader must feel the draw of years as the protagonist is left adrift the cosmos. it kind of ended abruptly though. i would enjoy seeing it as a full novel or at least vignette maybe - 4 Stars
May 31, 2015
After reading several books by Tanith Lee, the latest being read while still trying to comprehend the rather strange literary tributes flowing in after her death, I am realizing why she had been described as the Scheherzade of our times, and how she had made her readers simultaneously adore & loathe her writings. The present book under review, ostensibly a collection of her science fiction stories, again establish her genre-defying credentials, as they effortlessly change shapes and become fantasy, horror, erotica (Oh yes! That’s something that Lee simply seems to be incapable of avoiding.), philosophical ruminations, all the while wearing robes of science fiction. And now about the contents, and my assessments thereof….
1. ‘The Beautiful Biting Machine’: Probably the neatest, and the most chilling story of the collection.
2. ‘Moon Wolf’: Enormous potential wasted into simply boring & soporific stuff!
3. ‘Felixity’: This feminist wish-fulfillment fantasy has been exploited by the author in so many stories already, that now I don’t even feel disappointed, but merely yawn and pass on to the next story.
4. ‘The Thaw’: You really can’t make a story more brutally dystopian, and yet underlined by a streak of humour!
5. ‘You Are My Sunshine’: Wow! And now she produces a piece that’s so well written, so much pregnant with unspoken words, and with such a terrific final flourish, that I can only gape, and scream: “F*****G AWESOME”!
6. ‘With a Flaming Sword’: Superlative stuff that breathes fresh life into old stories.
7. ‘Black Fire’: The Biblical stuff gets an even headier (and more Apocalyptic) rendering in this finely written story.
8. ‘Written in Water’: Boring feminist dud.
9. ‘Tonight I Can Sleep Quietly’: A heart-warming and throat-aching fantasy.
10. ‘Stalking the Leopard’: Incredible! Only Tanith Lee can give these mundane stories such a fable-like shape, and tell them in a manner that haunts the reader long after the last paragraph has been read.
11. ‘Dead Yellow’: A cryptic fantasy that talks about the end-of-the-world in a, rather, “colourless” way.
12. ‘By Crystal Light Beneath One Star’: Another very well-written piece of distilled dystopian future.
13. ‘A Day in the Skin’ (or, the century we were out of them): Some more deeply pessimistic, dark and erotic ramblings about a future, in a planet.
14. ‘Within the Ghost’: Finally, a feel-good fantasy that can again be read as a fable of intellect, life, love, AI, humanity, and lots of other things.
Now it’s upto you to decide as to whether this book is readable or not. ‘Nuff said!
1. ‘The Beautiful Biting Machine’: Probably the neatest, and the most chilling story of the collection.
2. ‘Moon Wolf’: Enormous potential wasted into simply boring & soporific stuff!
3. ‘Felixity’: This feminist wish-fulfillment fantasy has been exploited by the author in so many stories already, that now I don’t even feel disappointed, but merely yawn and pass on to the next story.
4. ‘The Thaw’: You really can’t make a story more brutally dystopian, and yet underlined by a streak of humour!
5. ‘You Are My Sunshine’: Wow! And now she produces a piece that’s so well written, so much pregnant with unspoken words, and with such a terrific final flourish, that I can only gape, and scream: “F*****G AWESOME”!
6. ‘With a Flaming Sword’: Superlative stuff that breathes fresh life into old stories.
7. ‘Black Fire’: The Biblical stuff gets an even headier (and more Apocalyptic) rendering in this finely written story.
8. ‘Written in Water’: Boring feminist dud.
9. ‘Tonight I Can Sleep Quietly’: A heart-warming and throat-aching fantasy.
10. ‘Stalking the Leopard’: Incredible! Only Tanith Lee can give these mundane stories such a fable-like shape, and tell them in a manner that haunts the reader long after the last paragraph has been read.
11. ‘Dead Yellow’: A cryptic fantasy that talks about the end-of-the-world in a, rather, “colourless” way.
12. ‘By Crystal Light Beneath One Star’: Another very well-written piece of distilled dystopian future.
13. ‘A Day in the Skin’ (or, the century we were out of them): Some more deeply pessimistic, dark and erotic ramblings about a future, in a planet.
14. ‘Within the Ghost’: Finally, a feel-good fantasy that can again be read as a fable of intellect, life, love, AI, humanity, and lots of other things.
Now it’s upto you to decide as to whether this book is readable or not. ‘Nuff said!
July 23, 2016
This collection of stories by Tanith Lee combining fantasy with science fiction was variable. Only two are original stories for the book, and I am not sure the theme of the title is present enough in the stories to make them more than just a random collection, albeit with fantasy characters with a sci fi twist. My favorite is the first story, The Beautiful Biting Machine. Moon Wolf was fairly haunting as well, and The Thaw, while simple, was creepily good. To me, Felixity, You Are My Sunshine, Black Fire, Written in Water, and some of the others just did not work for me. With A Flaming Sword is another sci fi retelling of Genesis, old, but not bad. So, some good stuff, but not a truly exciting collection.
April 27, 2016
I really like other Tanith Lee books, so this one surprised me by being disappointing. The stories are fine, but they tend to rely too heavily on exposition dumps at the end. Moon Wolf was the best one; The Beautiful Biting Machine definitely the worst.
I would have given it 3 stars if not for the numerous typos and omitted words, which made the already overburdened sentences even harder to decipher. Is this self-published? I don't remember her other books having such purple prose.
I would have given it 3 stars if not for the numerous typos and omitted words, which made the already overburdened sentences even harder to decipher. Is this self-published? I don't remember her other books having such purple prose.
September 10, 2013
My favorite stories were "You Are My Sunshine" (gave me goosebumps) and "Stalking the Leopard" (which gave me the same emotional shivers as "The Silver Metal Lover," a novel I adore). Ms Lee's writing is always lush but I do think she's stronger at longer fiction where she's allowed to build bigger worlds, thus only three stars.
March 20, 2018
I was at my local library, checking out their "Space" display, and the title jumped out at me. Not familiar with the author, though enjoy the genre and so far I'm very glad I took a chance.
I had to return it in August, but picked it up today again, and am pretty sure I'll finish this time.
Enjoyed it more than I remembered. Glad I took the chance.
I had to return it in August, but picked it up today again, and am pretty sure I'll finish this time.
Enjoyed it more than I remembered. Glad I took the chance.
January 20, 2015
Wow, this book again took me forever to get through. The majority of the stories were good, but sometimes it slowed down for me. I am happy I finished it and I hope to read more Tanith Lee books in the future.
August 18, 2015
Some of these short stories were interesting, but I found some to be trippy.
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June 12, 2018DNF @ page 74. The writing was a bit too “flowery” for me, and the stories were a bit too ... I don’t know how to describe it, but most of the stories just weren’t for me.
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